Fire-bucket



(No Model.)

J. M. MILLER.

FIRE BUCKET.

No. 488,321. Patented Dec. 20,1892;

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JOSEPH M. MILLER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

FIRE-BUCKET.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 488,321, dated December 20, 1892.

Application filed August 22, 1892. Serial No. 443,814. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOSEPH M. MILLER, of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fire-l3uckets; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

This invention relates particularly to improvements in that class of buckets or receptacles adapted to hold a supply of Water for use in an emergency, a fire for instance, which receptacles, as is well known, must, in order to be of service, be arranged in a convenient position and kept supplied with water. Further than this, the pails, buckets or receptacles must be of such character as to offer absolutely no impediment to their instant use in an emergency. Under such conditions it has heretofore been found inexpedient to employ anything other than plain open buckets or pails, and it is the object of my present invention to provide a closed or covered pail or bucket which, while permitting the water to be discharged or thrown from it with as great facility as an open bucket, will have the advantage of preventing the entry of dust, dirt 850., into the bucket, or the evaporation of the Water to any appreciable extent when standing in its place, as well as certain other advantages incident to its construction as will be presently set forth.

In-the accompanying drawings: Figure l is a perspective view of a bucket or pail constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a section with the lid shown open in dotted lines. Fig. 3 is a detail of one end of the bail or handle showing the cranked end for raising the lid.

Similar letters of reference in the several figures indicate the same parts.

The body A of the pail, bucket or receptacle may be of any ordinary or preferred size, shape or material. As shown, it is of sheet metal galvanized as a protection against oxidation or corrosion in case a chemical solution is kept in it, and of ordinary pail size and shape so as to be conveniently carried and handled by any one. A hinged lid or cover is provided for the pail, and a ball or handle 13 is pivoted in its upper edge so as to swing down on both sides. When swung in one direction, it co-operates with the lid and opens the same. Thus in use, when the pail is grasped in both hands, as shown in Fig. 1, the act of bringing it into position to discharge the liquid, opens the lid without effort on the part of the person handling the bucket, and at the same time provides a guard to prevent back splash in case the water is thrown overhead.

In the preferred construction, the pail is provided with a permanent partial cover 0' and the lid or movable cover 0 is hingedat its straight edge, the hinges being adjacent to a line between the pivots of the bail. The bail is preferably of heavy wire or iron rod, the ends d of which are passed through bearings in the sides of the bucket, and, in the preferred construction are provided with crank ends to cooperate with the lid and open the same when the bail is turned down at one side. As shown, these crank ends are flattened out to constitute guards F. when the lid is open,to aid in directing the water properly as it is thrown and prevent splash at the sides. The cranks or guards are segmental in shape and serve as stops to limit the downward movement of the bail when the lid is closed, as shown clearly in Fig. 2. A stop F is mounted on the section 0 to arrest the lid just before it reaches vertical position or crosses its center of gravity, thus insuring its 'closing by gravity when the pail is again turned to horizontal position and the bail released, and to aid this closing movement a weight 0 may be applied to the lid. The lid when down, forms a close joint with the edge of the pail, to facilitate which it preferably fits just Within such edge and is held by a flange or projection G.

The invention, it will be seen, is so simple as to be instantly understood by any one, hence the efficiency of the bucket as a protection against fire is not impaired, while many advantages are gained as before pointed out.

It is obvious that the precise construction of parts may be varied and well known equivalents substituted,the essential being that the bail shall cooperate with the lid to open the same when turned down to one side of the bucket, whereby in the act of throwing the liquid, the lid is automatically opened by the lifting of the body of the bucket or movement of the bail with relation thereto.

The section of the cover 0 and lid together, form a complete guard against back splash when the water is thrown over head and besides preventing the evaporation and entry of dirt and dust when the bucket is standing, serve to prevent splashing out or waste of the water in running to the fire.

To facilitate the throwing of the water from the pail, as well as to direct the person which way to grasp the pail, it is provided with a handle H on one side near the bottom.

While I have shown the pail as made of sheet metal, it is obvious that the invention is equally applicable to pails of any ordinary or desired construction or material, hence I do not wish to be limited in this respect. So too the lid may be hinged in any desired manner, as shown, however, and if preferred a rod L is passed through from side to side and the lid edge is bent around the rod.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new is:

1. The combination with a pail, bucket or similar receptacle, such as described, and a lid hinged thereon, of a bail pivoted to the pail and crank ends on the bail co-operating with the lid to open the same when the bail is turned down to one side; substantially as described.

2. The combination with a pail, bucket or similar receptacle, such as described, and a lid hinged thereon, of a bail having its ends passed through the sides of the pail and provided with crank ends within the same for 00- operating with the lid to open the same when the bail is turned down to one side; substantially as described.

3. The combination with a pail, bucket or similar receptacle, such as described, and a lid hinged thereon, of a bail pivoted to the pail and having the wide crank ends co-operating with the lid to open the same and bridging the angle between the lid and rim of the pail on each side, thereby forming side guards when the lid is opened; substantially as described.

4. The combination with the pail or bucket and lid hinged loosely thereon to close by its own weight, of the bail pivoted to the pail and cooperating with the lid to open the same against the force of gravity, and a stop for arresting the opening of the lid before it reaches its center of gravity, whereby when the bail is turned up the lid closes automatically substantially as described.

JOSEPH M. MILLER.

Witnesses:

WM. 0. THORNE, OHAs. M. STEFFENs. 

